Here is a sneak peak to some of the shots that some friends of mine took. It's just a rough cut of a combination of shots in order for me to choose. Eventually the idea is to make a short video of 10-15 secs showcasing the concept of leaving everything for a year in order to pursue something totally new.

Anyway, here's an unlisted link for a limited time only (sounds cheesy )

Nice video Stergios! Looks like your form is progressing quite well! Would like to see some wider shots though. Wish I could drop everything for a year too. Good luck!

Hi Greg,

Thanks for posting and for your kind words.

On the rest of the videos I'm doing you can see very clearly the form. I'll be posting in a week's time, hopefully.

I didn't realise it at first but it's terrifying at times, I mean to swift focus for a year to do something new. And financially questionable. But I hope it will pay off, at least in a personal level. And hopefully will motivate others to take the chances.

Here is a sneak peak to some of the shots that some friends of mine took. It's just a rough cut of a combination of shots in order for me to choose. Eventually the idea is to make a short video of 10-15 secs showcasing the concept of leaving everything for a year in order to pursue something totally new.

Anyway, here's an unlisted link for a limited time only (sounds cheesy )

This video was really cool, but what's really needed is videos from the center behind viewpoint. Of course, you know that.

I'm curious, what vidcam and editing software did you use for this?

Hi Tom,

Thanks! I really appreciate your comment.

This was shot with a canon 7D (see picture of the set up) and my friend edit it in Sony Vegas. My self I usually edit with Apple's iMovie which is quite simple and to an extend similar to Window's Movie Maker for PC users. Although I'm now getting my hands on Adobe's Premier Pro.

For most of the videos I'll be featuring soon I'm using a Gopro Hero 2 for all the action and a Canon 5D for all the talking part (see a picture of the making).

Cheers,

Stergios

PS: I watch all your videos! You're very committed and I hope you'll succeed!

The NTRP guidelines are, well at best, unreliable. Every weekend warrior you find at the public courts would read that and think they are a 5.0.

In my opinion, someone who is self rating who has not played high school or played against any computer rated players, should subtract at least a FULL point from the NTRP scale, if not more.

For example, the TW reviewers are between 4.0 and 5.0 for most of them. And even if in the videos they don't always play seriously and may have some technical points to work on, they are darn good. Even though they playtest for a living so they may play better than actual 4.0-5.0 players, it gives an hint of how good you need to be to become 5.0.

EDIT: For further precision... As given by the Playtester Profiles, for those we have seen lately. Jason is 4.0, Spencer and Sean are 4.5, Chris and Troy are 5.0, and Granville is the highest ranked at 5.5 (surprisingly for me). Andy is open rated.

PS: Those who think they can should read the manga Baby Steps and reconsider. It's still a shonen (aimed at boys/teens), but it's really very accurate in its content.

This was shot with a canon 7D (see picture of the set up) and my friend edit it in Sony Vegas. My self I usually edit with Apple's iMovie which is quite simple and to an extend similar to Window's Movie Maker for PC users. Although I'm now getting my hands on Adobe's Premier Pro.

For most of the videos I'll be featuring soon I'm using a Gopro Hero 2 for all the action and a Canon 5D for all the talking part (see a picture of the making).

Cheers,

Stergios

PS: I watch all your videos! You're very committed and I hope you'll succeed!

Thanks Stergios. Some nice equipment and software you have there (not to mention the skilled and helpful friends and coach). I've been using Windows Movie Maker 2.6 (I'm running Windows 7 operating system), and a Sony CyberShot S2100. It's a poor man's video setup, but my videos should improve a bit in the near future as I've decided to get a decent tripod when I get my next retirement check. Plus I think there might be some camera setting tweaks that I can do to improve the general quality.

A guy who I will play in a league match this coming Wednesday evening has a GoPro. I think it's the first series of GoPro vidcams. He clips it on the back fence at my home court when we play. Wonderful clarity and wide angle perspective. Looking forward to viewing some extended vids by you using the GoPro Hero 2.

I hope you stay committed. Also I hope you continue with some artsy videos. Very creative and entertaining. Mostly, however, I'm interested in watching some simpler vids from the centered and somewhat elevated perspective at the back fence. I think this perspective is the single most revealing one, although I think it's also good to have some side views and centered front views as well.

Your form does seem to be improving rather rapidly. Hope you continue with the hard work. I had a league match scheduled for this morning which got rained out and we had to reschedule it for next Sunday, but hope to get out on the court this evening to try some experimentation with a Patrick Rafter style serve.

I would say for the first two months, focus on CORRECT form. Dont bother trying to get the ball in with bad form. Once you get the fundamentals you will climb up relatively quickly with match experience. I am 16 and I climb up at 0.5 level a year. Currently at NTRP 4-4.5

I would say for the first two months, focus on CORRECT form. Dont bother trying to get the ball in with bad form. Once you get the fundamentals you will climb up relatively quickly with match experience. I am 16 and I climb up at 0.5 level a year. Currently at NTRP 4-4.5

That's what I'm trying to do although a few people disagree with that take on the process.

Oh, you're a good player! And young enough!

I'll definitely keep you posted.

Thanks,

Stergios

Hi,

My coach believes that basic fundamentals bring success slower than just hitting INITIALLY, but it will benefit and improve performance faster AFTER A WHILE. While everyone has different opinions on how to learn the game, I agree with my coach as he helped me progress quickly.

I just saw your video and I am amazed. Two months? Wow, great form so far! I trained my friend in the beginning of this year and now he's a starting varsity player! In my opinion it can be done. I believe in you! Video was well done. Wish you luck mate!

Hi Stergios,
You are doing well and i like your confidence
I know that this is not the right thread to post my questions but since i got courage by seeing your post, i signed up here to ask my questions (common question for all youngsters ) .I am 19 years old and i understand that its not the age to start teninis at this age but i believe in " nothing is impossible ". I couldn't even attend my college so i stopped it at the middle and called a coach in a tennis academy but he said that its impossible at this age,you better go on with your studies.But I still have confidence that i can do it. May be some one here could help me.

The conventional wisdom is that you need to put in 10,000 hours of quality practice to master a complex skill. How much quality practice do you think you can manage, day-in day-out? I think 2 hours is realistic; 4 hours is really stretching it; and 6 hours is impossible because practice quality drops with fatigue, not to mention the issue of one's body breaking down. Assuming the 4 hour figure, you would hit the 10,000 hour mark after 7 years. Most professional hopefuls have achieved 10,000 hours by the time they are 20. So you would be at a serious disadvantage relative to your peers.

Consider also that most ATP pros hit their physical peak around 25-26. So just as you acquired mastery, you would be starting your physical decline (if not sooner, due to all the strain that you have put on your body). Some things are impossible.

You can still become a great player, but becoming a professional is pretty much impossible. Maybe it'd be doable in doubles, where a career can last well into your thirties, but how many people go into tennis wanting to become a professional doubles player?

Hi Stergios,
You are doing well and i like your confidence
I know that this is not the right thread to post my questions but since i got courage by seeing your post, i signed up here to ask my questions (common question for all youngsters ) .I am 19 years old and i understand that its not the age to start teninis at this age but i believe in " nothing is impossible ". I couldn't even attend my college so i stopped it at the middle and called a coach in a tennis academy but he said that its impossible at this age,you better go on with your studies.But I still have confidence that i can do it. May be some one here could help me.

P.S i am very good at sports like badminton etc

Thanks,

Deepak

Hi Deepak,

Thanks for posting. You've got a serious questions and it deserves a proper answer. The last couple of days I'm really tired! I didn't have the time or mental capacity for getting back to your question.

I wanted to let you know that although I don't have an easy answer I'm having your question in to my mind. I'll be writing you on the matter in the next couple of days!

Hi Stergios,
You are doing well and i like your confidence
I know that this is not the right thread to post my questions but since i got courage by seeing your post, i signed up here to ask my questions (common question for all youngsters ) .I am 19 years old and i understand that its not the age to start teninis at this age but i believe in " nothing is impossible ". I couldn't even attend my college so i stopped it at the middle and called a coach in a tennis academy but he said that its impossible at this age,you better go on with your studies.But I still have confidence that i can do it. May be some one here could help me.

P.S i am very good at sports like badminton etc

Thanks,

Deepak

Hi Deepak,

Thanks a lot for posting and please accept my apologies for my late reply.

It really motivates me as well when I move people to act upon their dreams. That's the reason I took this project public anyways.

Back to your question though.
Although I'm a great believer of "nothing is impossible" I do also know that this statement is staying back to back with "not everything is possible".

And let me explain. The chances of achieving excellence are really thin. Not in tennis but everywhere else in life.

In my opinion you'll never really know though until you actually try (after weighing all the advantages and disadvantages you can think of, obviously). Only then you will know if your decision was right and your time and money well spent. After trying your best for a while you'll get the answers you're looking for. And that's the beauty of self-empowerment. If after a good amount of time spent, you wake up with a feeling that what you're about to do comes second to none of the other possible things you might have ended up doing, then you might have taken the right decision. I've used the word "might" consciously because it depends on your needs and priorities.

To be more specific to Tennis though, I assume from your dilemma you'd like to pursue a professional career as a player or a coach. The latter is, of course, a more straight forward process to attend. As for the first, chances are very slim. And I'm not talking about your age. I'm talking for everyone.

If I'm not mistaken, from the thousands who pursue a career in professional Tennis only a few hundred can be financially sustained from it.
Obviously we don't know what would have happen if we had taken Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal to start Tennis at age 20. Two things I can imagine happening. One, they might have reached a level, close to or even have achieved the level at which they're now. Two, they might not have had the time to develop and unleash their full potential. But no one can tell with certainty.

There is the possibility you can be sustained by your family for as long as is needed in order to give yourself a chance.

But in this case, one must take into account one's other available options. For example, what would you do if you didn't devote yourself to Tennis? Where would you put your hours and money? What would your goals be in that scenario and what are your chances of achieving them?

Are you willing to take a high risk for a higher reward if that's the case? And if so what have you learnt from previous experiences? How do you deal with failure? Are you able to put an end to something that doesn't work out for you despite the countless hours you've already spent? Perhaps, you already know that you could enjoy the journey and all the effort even if you don't achieve your initial goal.

As for being good at badminton it can only be a good thing. Not necessarily becase it's a racket sport but more because you might know what it takes and how it feels to be good at a sport in general.

I've learnt that my best asset in achieving my goal in tennis is not my physicality but my hard earned ability of learning. Which has evolved through the years and has developed into a life skill in itself.

Listen to others and follow your instincts!

Wishing you all the very best with your decision and your success there after.
Please keep me updated with your progress,

I've been playing regularly and I have literally no time other than to rest.

My daily schedule looks like that:

I walk up 8:30, I'm usually having about 25 ounces / .75 lt of fresh pressed juice. Then I prepare my tennis bag and I pack a few snacks such as fruits, raw nuts and a sandwich. As well as my daily intake of whey protein and a few sports drinks.